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Ian's face softened with affection. "Even when he is a devil, you cannot help but love him. But I must warn you that Adam is like to put us into trouble. He has so enchanted Leicester, Oxford and Salisbury that I believe all three will offer to foster him." |
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"Mary have mercy!" Alinor exclaimed. "How can I say no to any one of them? Will they come to me today?" |
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"I do not know. I tried to put them off. I told themwhat they knewthat the boy was too young, and then I said straight that I wished to be sure how the king received the news of our marriage before I burdened any one with a child of ours. I mean" |
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Alinor touched Ian's hand. "Say what you will. If Simon can hear, it will give him only joy to know what you feel." |
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It was not Simon's reaction Ian was concerned with. Alinor had changed since the last time they had spoken of the children in this sense. Thank God for that, Ian thought. He knew he had been foolish. In the idle weeks of waiting for the reavers, or just waiting, desperate to think of anything except Alinor and incapable of drawing his mind far from her, he had planned this and that for "his" children. He had occasionally called them that even when Simon was alive, but now it was a habit. Had Alinor taken it ill, things would have been difficult. Do not be a fool, Ian reminded himself. Just because she does not fly into a rage over this and she coupled with you gladly, do not leap ahead too fast. |
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"Ian," Alinor continued after a moment of thoughtful silence, "he is too young, but mayhap it would be well toto promise him to someone, someone the king will not be willing to offend. When the vassals and castellans have sworn to him, he must swear to John or you must swear for him. Once he is brought to the king's notice" |
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"So you thought of that, too. I did not like to say it for fear of worrying you. Yet John is not all evil. He |
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